A Crafty Little Blog

Some sad news has hit one of the forums of which I am a member. A member’s two year old daughter has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Cancer is a horrible thing for anyone to deal with, but particularly hard when the one affected is a child.

In a show of support, several of the TNNers are making a blanket for Hope, with each person knitting up a 20cm x 20cm square to be sewn together into a large knitted quilt.

So I’ve made up a pattern in the image of the Chinese character for “Hope.” My square contribution is knit to this pattern, in Merino et Soie 8ply DK on 4.5 mm.

I would like to ask that anyone in New Zealand who uses this pattern (dishcloth or otherwise), to please make a donation of any domination to Hope’s fund through Kiwibank. At the very least, give your child(ren) a hug and kiss and tell them you love them.

The fund account number is:

Hope Osborne

38-9009-0002097-00

For those wanting to follow Hope’s journey back to health, her father has set up a Facebook Group.

All my thoughts and get well wishes are with Hope and her family.

Hope

Pattern Info:

Gauge: 6 sts x 8 rows per inch

Yarn: 8ply DK Yarn of your choice, preferably cotton or bamboo if for a dishcloth.

Needles: 4.5mm

Gauges is not important if you are knitting this as a dishcloth.

Pattern:

CO42 using Long Tail Cast On

Rows 1 – 5, and all odd rows: Knit

Rows 6, 8, 10, 12: K4 P18 K1 P15 K4

Row: 14: K4 P18 K1 P5 K1 P9 K4

Row 16: K4 P2 K3 P9 K1 P3 K1 P4 K2 P9 K4

Row 18: K4 P4 K2 P8 K1 P3 K1 P3 K1 P1 K2 P8 K4

Row 20: K4 P6 K2 P6 K1 P3 K1 P5 K2 P8 K4

Row 22: K4 P7 K2 P5 K1 P3 K1 P5 K2 P8 K4

Row 24: K4 P9 K2 P3 K1 P3 K1 P5 K2 P8 K4

Row 26: K4 P10 K2 P1 K13 P8 K4

Row 28: K4 P11 K2 P4 K2 P3 K3 P9 K4

Row 30: K4 P12 K2 P3 K3 P14 K4

Row 32: K4 P3 K9 P1 K2 P19 K4

Row 34: K4 P10 K11 P13 K4

Row 36: K4 P14 K2 P4 K12 P2 K4

Row 38: K4 P11 K2 P14 K3 P4 K4

Row 40: K4 P13 K3 P5 K2 P11 K4

Row 42: K4 P15 K3 P1 K4 P11 K4

Row 44: K4 P13 K7 P14 K4

Row 46: K4 P11 K3 P4 K3 P13 K4

Row 48: K4 P19 K3 P12 K4

Row 50: K4 P19 K2 P13 K4

Rows 51 – 55: Knit

Cast off Knitwise.

If you want a stretchier cast off, cast off as follows:

*Cast off 5, cast on one using backward loop and immediately cast off one* repeating ** to end.

Well, I’ve been working up a couple patterns myself that people have been requesting, but in between times, I’ve done a couple of test knits for friends.

You might remember the Kaia Babydoll pattern I tested for my friend Rachel? Well, she’s got another pattern she’s just released called Spring Butterfly (free Ravelry Download), which is a top-down raglan cardy in size one. She’s used a picot cast off on the sleeves to add a different touch, plus a slip-stitch butterfly motif on the back that tops a cute little reverse stocking stitch pleat.

This is the one I knit up. I used some of my yarn from the last yarn swap I’ve received (yet to be blogged, BAD BLOGGER!), which is hand dyed Merino et Soie.

I changed the bottom hem from the pattern, which calls for a knitted frill. I wanted the bottom to have the picot as well. Here are the mods I did:

13 increase repeats from the bottom of the butterfly.

Six rows of the following: knit to second marker, purl to next marker, knit to end.

Cast off in picot with Cast On 2, cast off 6.

A couple more pics, one of the back and one more close up of the butterfly.

The other test knit was a 12ply version of the Vanilla Soaker (a low cost Ravelry download), by Kelly of Incidental Happiness. She’s just released her 8ply pattern for sale, and is furiously working on the 10ply and 12 ply versions to be included as well.

This is a GREAT soaker pattern, knit in the round, which uses a provisional cast on to knit the crotch flat first, so that there is no grafting of the soaker. The ribbing is a nice features, allowing for stretch in the crotch to ease in the sizing.

I used some Yarn Bee Wool #070 in the Rainbow Twist colour and knit the newborn size.

The only mod I did on this was the cast on. I used a Tunisian Cast on, and left one side of the stitches on a spare circular needle.

So, now I need to finish doing some more blogging, because one again I am way behind.

When you knit socks, you suddenly have a need for sock blockers, but I needed some r.i.g.h.t n.o.w. And I didn’t want to pay out a chunk of change to get just one size either.

Found this simple tutorial on ravelry for DIY sock blockers, which uses placemats, cut to the necessary shape or size you need. I was worried that if you cut the placemat, any laminated paper on the inside would get damp while blocking your socks. Plus, I didn’t want to buy nice placemats, just to chop them up.

So I modified, and used what I had, and got a variety of styles and colours and sizes that I never could have gotten with just a placemat.

I dug out some much neglected scrapbooking paper, cut it to the size I needed, laminated and trimmed. And Voila!!!

So, I mentioned I learned Magic Loop and Toe Up Socks in this post. I love knitting socks, but ever since knitting my Wicked I’ve found I enjoy being able to try things on as I am knitting them. You are able to get a much better fit. Plus if you have to frog back, it’s easier to do that while in the middle of knitting it, than it is having a finished garment that just doesn’t fit properly.

Anyway, I took the bulls by the horn, and cast on for some socks, but wanted something a bit fancier than just plain stocking stitch, so I frogged it and started over. I took my favourite dishcloth pattern, and turned it into a sock pattern.

I was so determined to use my Regia Bamboo Colours, but it’s a little hard to see the lacework. So I knit up some Vintage Purl Sock Wool in Chlorophyll. These are a gift. A very belated Christmas present, but better late than never. The semi-solid dyeing shows the pattern in much more details.

I had to modify a bit as the wool knit tighter than the Bamboo did. Plus, I did an anklet height, so only did four lace pattern repeats after the heel flap, and a plain cast off. I called the pattern Mermaidia based on both origin of the stitch pattern and because it looked like a gathering place for Mermaids.

So, here is the pattern. It will be uploaded to Ravelry as well. Special thanks to the lovely Morag of Vintage Purls, for helping me get my head around doing the heel flap in reverse.

This sock when knit in gauge, should give you a US Woman’s shoe size of 8 – 9. It can be easily lengthened or shortened by adding rows in the foot. It is designed to use Magic loop. It can be done on DPNs if you wish, just be careful with the pattern, as there are more stitches on the top of the sock than there are on the bottom.

Gauge:

9 st x 12 rows per inch in stocking stitch

Materials needed:

100g 4ply Regia Bamboo Colour

2.50mm 80cm circular needle (I used Knit Picks)

3 place markers/stitch markers.

Abbreviations:

k = knit

p = purl

sl = slip purlwise while keeping yarn at the back

kfb = knit into front of loop and then into back of loop

yf = bring yarn to the front of the work as if to purl

psso = pass slipped stitch over

m1 = This is the M1L from knittinghelp.com: Using the left needle, lift the purl bar between the stitches on your needles and knit into the back of the loop

k2tog = knit two together

p2tog = purl two together

pm = place marker

rm = remove marker

slm = slip marker from left to right needle

BarInc = : Using the left needle, lift the purl bar between the stitches on your needles to create a new stitch.

Cast on toe:

Using Judy Becker’s Magic Cast-On or Turkish Cast On, cast on 24 stitches (12 on each needle) and knit one round. Place marker (or pull tail yarn to the outside of the work) to mark the beginning of the round.

Toe Increases:

Round 1: Kfb, knit to next to last stitch on needle one, kfb, k1. Repeat on needle two.

Round 2: Knit.

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 nine times for a total of 10 sets of increases. You should have 32 stitches on each needle.

Round 1: Knit 16, M1, K to end of round.

Round 2: Knit

You should now have 33 stitches on needle one, and 32 on needle two. The extra stitch on needle one is to center the lace pattern.

Start the lace pattern here for needle one only. Knit all stitches on needle two. Work 9 pattern repeats, or until sock is 3.5 inches less than the length of your foot from toe to heel.

Work rounds 5 and 6 a total of 10 times, ending in a knit row. You should now have 12 gusset stitches on either side of your place markers, and the 32 insole stitches between the place markers.

Reverse Heel Flap:

Knit in pattern across the instep (needle one). You will now be working back & forth on the insole needle only (needle two). Do not wrap your stitches when you turn.

Row 1: k12, slm, k32, turn

Row 2: sl1, p31, turn

Row 3: sl1, k30, turn

Row 4: sl1, p29, turn

Row 5: sl1, k28, turn

Row 6: sl1, p27, turn

Row 7: sl1, k26, turn

Row 8: sl1, p25, turn

Row 9: sl1, k24, turn

Row 10: sl1, p23, turn

Row 11: sl1, k22, turn

Row 12: sl1, p21, turn

Row 13: sl1, k20, turn

Row 14: sl1, p19, turn

Row 15: sl1, k18, turn

Row 16: sl1, p17, turn

Row 17: sl1, k16, DO NOT TURN. You will now knit in the 8 abandoned short row stitches that are on your left needle as follows: *BarInc, k2tog* (x8). You will now pick up the first gusset stitch as such: rm, sl1 to right needle, pm back on left needle, pass next to last stitch on right needle over the slipped stitch, turn.

Row 18: sl1, p23, *BarInc, p2tog* (x8), rm, sl1 to right needle, pm back on left needle, pass next to last stitch on right needle over the slipped stitch, turn.

Row 19: sl1, k31, rm, sl1 to right needle, pm back on left needle, pass next to last stitch on right needle over the slipped stitch, turn.

Row 20: sl1, p31, rm, sl1 to right needle, pm back on left needle, pass next to last stitch on right needle over the slipped stitch, turn.

Repeat rows 19 and 20 ten more times, until all the gusset stitches have been knit in, ending in a purl row, turn.

You will start the lace pattern now on needle two (which is now the back of the leg). For this row only, knit lace pattern on needle 2 as follows:

yf, sl1, k1, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yf, k1, yf, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yf, k2tog, yf, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yf, k1, yf, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k1, sl1, yf. You will now have 31 stitches on needle two for the remainder of the sock, instead of 32. You should now be back at the beginning of the round, ready to work round 2 of the lace pattern. Work round 2 in the following fashion ONCE, and then continue in original lace pattern, working lace on both needles one and two.

Round 2 (do only this one time): sl1, k31, sl1, knit to end of round. Be sure not to accidently knit your yf and your sl together at the beginning and end of needle two.

TIP: Because there are yf increases at the beginning and end of needle two in round 1 of the lace pattern, it is very important to keep these as tight as possible, so as not to create ladders in your work from the areas between needles.

Continue in pattern, for 10 pattern repeats, or to desired length.

Cuff:

Work 10 rows in twisted rib: (k1tbl, p1) x 32

OR work an alternate cuff of 12 rounds of 2×2 rib, followed by a normal cast off.

Cast off:

Picot cast off (or use your preferred cast off method). *Cast on 2 stitches using cable cast on, cast off 4 stitches in the usual manner. Move last stitch you knit from the right needle to the left needle, and repeat from *.

Please note, this pattern is free for personal use. Not commercial use of this pattern without prior approval. Copyright 2009 Christine Jeffery

Well, I got KT5 off to her first day of school on Wednesday. Gosh it’s hard believing that she is old enough for school already. But her raw enthusiasm for being there added some much needed excitement to the mix.

So, we got to her class, with a big bag of supplies in tow. She has so many different work books that it took a little while to get them all put in the proper sorted baskets, along with all the pencils, glue, tissues, hats, etc. And then I got to her reading log, which I didn’t see a basket for, so I gave it to her teacher, who then asked, “Does KT5 have a book bag?”

DAMN! Guess what I forgot.

I had planned to make one, but just completely forgot about it during the massive duraseal-a-thon that was 23 books and a few hours in length.

So on Thursday, one little boy decided to have an easy nap, so I whisked into the craft room, grabbed some canvas and Poly PUL, along with some FOE and made this.

I gate crashed a knitters weekend a couple of weekends ago with some friends from around the lower North Island. It was put together by the amazing James from Joy of Yarn in Greytown and featured the most awesome Morag of Vintage Purls. It was a great workshop, teaching toe up socks using Magic Loop.

Here is my little workshop sock.

And this is what snuck in my bag for the trip home. From Left to Right, Rosewood, Diva, Joy, Dolly and Bluhu. All are Limited Editions ones except Joy, which Morag makes just for James’ store.

I came home with some Regia Bamboo as well, and started these.

I wrote up the pattern, but have a few friends checking it over, so will post it soon.

In the mean time, here is more yarn porn.

This one is Patonyle, kettle dyed in pinks and reds.

Patonyle again, in reds and blacks. Both of these are supposed to be secrets, but will reserve the rest of the items associtated with these for another post.

This one is an 8ply, called Mia from Knitworld. Dyed with procion in Burgundy, Fuchsia, Magenta and Bubblegum. Love how this one turned out!

These ones are various cotton and bamboo mixtures. A bit of random dyeing going on, if you can’t tell from the top one, which is what happens when kettle-dyeing goes VERY wrong.